Electric time-switch.



No. 782,387z PATENTED FE 14*y N05.

" W. H. GERHARD.

ELECTRIC TBME SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15, 1904,

ttozmu Patented February 14,1905.,

PATENT Ormea,

VILLIAM H. GERHARD, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.

ELECTRlC TIME-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,387, dated February 14, 1905.

Application filed September l5, 1904. Serial No. 224,559.

To all whom, 711 nung concern:

Be itknown thatI, WILLTAMH. GERHARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Electrical Switches; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in electric switches or light-extinguishers, and more particularly to an attachment for alarmclocks by means of which the switch-bar may be operated by the rotation of the alarm-winding key of said clock when the alarm is let oif to cut out or extinguish an electric light or lights or to effect other results.

The object of my invention is to improve devices of this character and to provide a switch which will be simple in construction, durable in use, positive in operation, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

lith these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of an ordinary alarm-clock with my attachment applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig'. 3 is a side elevation of the attachment removed from the clock and showing' in dotted lines the position to which the switch-bar is swung when released by the alarm-winding key of the clock. Fig'. i is a top plan view of the attachment or switch.

Referring' to the drawings for a more particular description of my invention, the numeral 1 designates an alarm-clock of the wellknown cylindrical type, having upon its rear face the usual mainspring-winding key 2, regulator 3, and set-knob 4L, alarm-set knob 5, and the alarm-winding key 6. The latter when the alarm mechanism is released rotates in the opposite direction to that indicated by the arrow 7 in Fig. l, as is common in devices of this character.

My improved switch or attachment comprises a clamp made preferably of vulcanized rubber or other suitable insulating material and comprising a curved body portion S, adapted to rest upon the clock-frame and provided with two downwardly-extending lugs 9 10. A thumb-screw 11 extends through the lug 9 and serves to secure the switch in place on the clock. The lug 10 has a curved lower edge 1'2 to accommodate the alarm-winding key 6 of the clock. Pivoted upon said lug 10 is a hook or catch 13, provided with a suitable handle 14 and a hook portion l5, the lower or free end 16 of said catch extending beyond the lugl 10 to a position within the path of the alarm-windingkey 6. The upper extended end of the lug 10 is slotted, as at 17, the inner edges of said slot being faced with copper plates or other contacts 1S, secured in place by screws 19.

The switch-bar 2O is pivoted at one end by the conducting-lugs 21, suitably secured to the portion 8 of the clamp. A terminal 2T is secured to a binding-pest 2S, risingfrom one of the lugs Q1, and said terminal may be used with either of the terminals at the opposite end of the switch. A spring 22 is connected to the pintle Q3 and forms a loop 24C, which bears under the bottom edge of the switch-bar Q() to throw said bur into the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings when said bar is released from the catch' 13. At the outer or free end of the switchbar 2O a lug 25 extends laterally from said bar into the path of the hook portion 150i the catch 13, and a suitable handle 26 may be provided ou said switch-bar for operating the same.

ln attaching my device to a clock its alarmbell is preferably removed and the body pertion of the clamp placed across the top of the clock and secured thereto, as shown. The terminals of electrical conductors 27 are secured to binding-posts 2S, the said conductors being connected to an electric-lighting circuit or any other electrical circuit.

The operation of my invention may be described as follows: The clock may be set so that its alarm mechanism will be let otl" at any desired time, and when said alarm mech- TOO anism operates the alarm-winding key 6 comes in contact with the depending end of the catch 13 and moves it to one side, thus releasing' the switch-bar 20 from its engagement with the hook portion 15, and thus breaking the circuit and cutting' out the lights or performing' any other similar service.

It will be understood, of course, that my switch may be used for cutting' in as well as cutting' out lights--that is to say, the switch may be operated to either make or break an electrical circuit, and thereby control a mechanism of any description.

From the foregoing', taken in connection with the accompanying' drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing' any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. An electric switch comprising a clamp adapted to be secured at the top of an alarmclock, having an alarm-winding key. a switchbar pivoted at one end to one end ot' said clamp with its opposite end normally resting between contact-points, in combination with a pivoted catch having a hook Vlor engaging' a lug' upon the switch-bai' and its opposite end projecting' into the path ol the alarm-winding' key of the clock, substantially as described.

2. A tune-controlled attachment for alarmclocks comprising' a detachable clamp provided with lugs, a thumb-screw For securing said clamp in place upon the top oi the clock, electric contactpoints upon the clamp, a switch-bar pivoted at one ol' its ends upon the clamp, a spring for disconnecting' said switchbar from the contact-1 ioints and a pivoted hooked catch engaging a lugl on the bar and havingl an end projecting' into the path olf the alarm-winding key of the clock, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WM. ll. ('ERIIAHI).

lVitnesses:

A. ll'. CAswuLL, Jr., J. G. MnLLnNnnNNnn. 

